Tragedy In Newtown

While Connecticut is working to tighten its own gun laws, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy noted that it won’t be very effective if residents can simply cross the border into a neighboring state to buy a banned weapon.

“So we need a strong federal law that imposes universal background checks, criminal background checks, when everybody buys a gun and starts to get some of these very dangerous guns and ammunition off the street,” Murphy told WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau.

Murphy noted that Thursday’s forum was the first comprehensive conference on changes in gun laws to be held at the federal level.

Advocates for change said gun enthusiasts need to adjust to a new reality.

“We support the Second Amendment. We want to work with everyone and if they’re law-abiding citizens and they’re doing the right thing and owning their stores they have nothing to fear,” said Po Murray of the Newtown Action Alliance.

“If they’re making their living off selling assault weapons, they should be afraid,” added the Alliance’s Dave Ackert.

The Newtown gunman, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, killed his mother at their home before going to the school and executing one of the biggest mass killing in recent memory. He committed suicide as police arrived.

As a teenager, Lanza studied at Western Connecticut State, earning a 3.26 grade point average before taking his last class in the summer of 2009. Classmates remembered him as quiet, a trait some thought was a result of him being younger than his peers.

President Barack Obama is pushing for universal background checks for gun owners, a ban on many military-style weapons and a limit on the size of magazines.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who organized the conference with two other members of the state’s congressional delegation, said those measures are achievable. He said the Newtown shooting dramatically changed the prospects for gun control.

“Two months ago gun violence and measures to stop it were untouchable,” Blumenthal said. “The forces of resistance as strong as they once appeared are a shadow of what they were.”

A second panel was to discuss mental health and school safety initiatives.

Malloy, Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra, state police Capt. Dale Hourigan and the mayors of Bridgeport and Hartford participated, along with other experts in the fields of mental health, law enforcement and education.

Gun makers and lobbyists weren’t invited to participate in the conference, but Blumenthal said gun rights advocates will have opportunities in hearings and other forums to express their points of view.

What do you think should be done to stem the tide of gun violence in America? Share your ideas below.